The Athena Award is given annually to a woman who demonstrates excellence, leadership, creativity and initiative in their business or profession; provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community; and assists women in reaching their full leadership potential.

Herzmark has been executive director of the Denver Health Foundation since July, 2004. She also has chaired the board of directors for the Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Colorado’s major public safety net institution, since 1996. She also had key roles in the historical transition of the Denver Department of Health and Hospitals from a city government department to a free-standing health authority, in launching the hospital’s own health maintenance organization and in leading the new entity’s first bond issue.

As executive director of the foundation, Herzmark leads Denver Health’s fundraising efforts and serves in a leadership role for this critical community resource.

Prior to joining Denver Health, Herzmark served for more than 10 years as the chief executive officer of the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center, where she managed the activities, programs and operations of the $10 million organization. Before that, she spent eight years in the cable television industry, including six years as president/CEO of Prime Time Cable Corporation, a private cable television company.

Finalists for the award were Jill Tietjen, Technically Speaking Inc.; Robin Heller,Western Union; Heidi Crum, 10 til 2; and Anna Marie Larsen, Larsen Consulting International. The winner was chosen by a panel of business and community leaders working from nominations submitted by the Denver business community.

The 260 guests also saw Erika Blair, a senior at Chatfield High School, accept a four-year Florence Caldwell Achievement Scholarship to Colorado School of Mines.

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.